3 ways to appeal to the youth travel market

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1. Make it visual

Thanks to social media, young people have a strong affinity for visual imagery. The best way to tell a story for these travellers is to show it.

Millennials’ appetites need to be whet by showing them the aesthetic value that each holiday destination offers. By being given a preview of the visual experience that they would gain on the trip, young travellers are easily able to see the exact quality of images and videos they’d be able to snap for their social media accounts.

Although this may seem superficial, the potential for visual content has become a huge determining factor when young travellers are planning what trips to take and which destinations to choose.

Social media has become a great platform to display these visuals and access this younger demographic and it is imperative that travel agencies take advantage of the invaluable access that sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter provide in reaching this market. But be sure to keep your agency’s social media accounts active.

Content should be posted on a daily basis to keep your pages interesting, relevant and current. Sharing content from travel providers is a great way to do this.

2. Make the most of their budgets

The majority of this demographic are students or young people who are earning entry-level salaries.

All-inclusive package deals can, therefore, be very appealing. Whether it’s food that is included in the price or giving the option of group discounts, travel agencies need to ensure they always keep the budgets of the Millennial traveller in mind.

Cruise liners are great options in this situation; as most food, entertainment and a wide range of activities are included in the cruise fare.

Cruises are also a good choice for young travellers wishing to visit many destinations, as they don’t have to fork out extra for travelling between cities – it’s all included in their ticket price.

It’s also good to bear in mind that Millennial and Gen Z travellers are very focused on having amazing experiences on their holidays, and are willing to pay for them. The WYSE study found that there was a 26% jump from 2012 to 2017 in the number of activities these young people undertake during a holiday. They would rather invest their travel budget in unique experiences than in luxuries like a room upgrade, for example.

3. Make it digital

This generation has grown up in an incredibly fast-paced and instantaneous society, so they expect service delivery to be just as efficient and immediate.

It is rare these days for young people to walk into a travel agency to request help in planning a trip; they are far more accustomed to interacting with a screen than getting information from an actual person.

WYSE’s research showed that nearly three-quarters of these digital natives made a travel reservation via their smartphone in 2017.

For these reasons, it’s important for travel agencies to have fully functional online sites where destinations can be viewed, and costings can be generated instantly based on dates, locations and durations of trips. Agencies also need to offer options that can personalise trips and locations to suit personal interests and look for other innovative ways to capture the attention of young travellers.